UTSA Library dedicates Michael Kelly Commons

(March 4, 2009)--The UTSA community is invited to attend a dedication ceremony for the newly renovated Michael Kelly Commons staff area at 4 p.m., Thursday, March 5 on the second floor of the John Peace Library Building on the UTSA 1604 Campus.

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Michael Kelly, who joined UTSA in the early 70s, was the first director and dean of the UTSA libraries, serving under four presidents during his tenure. While at UTSA, he chaired the Council of Research and Academic Libraries in San Antonio and the UT System Librarians Organization from 1990 to 2002. Kelly died May 17, 2006.

Kelly's additional responsibilities included serving as the interim director of the UTSA Division of Music in the 1980s, interim director of the Division of Architecture and Interior Design in 2000 and as parliamentarian of the Faculty Senate and Graduate Council.

David Johnson, UTSA vice provost for academic and faculty support and former interim dean of the UTSA Library, worked with Kelly for several years and credits him with building the library's initial collections under budget constraints which required great patience and administrative skill. Kelly also was credited with instituting a student library resource fee that has enabled the UTSA Library to add to collections and staffing levels to support the growing university.

"Prior to his death, Mike asked that his friends make contributions to a staff development fund," said Johnson. "That money has been used to fund staff who are seeking to enhance their skills by earning college and professional degrees."

Kelly earned a Ph.D. degree in English literature and Shakespeare studies from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a master's degree in library science from the University of Kentucky. In 1972, while teaching in the UK College of Library Science, he was recruited to UTSA by President Arleigh Templeton.